[Book Review] “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk

Even though the book was in 2009, it’s a rather interesting book if you need a little motivation to start something new. He also links “crushing it” with “personal branding” and “passion”.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

On how to use your personal branding to build your company.

“Wine Library TV was never about selling wine on the internet. It was always about building brand equity.“

Here, Gary talks about LibraryTV as helping him position himself as the thought leader in the wine industry. By “brand equity” he means starting LibraryTV as a means to build authority in the wine niche around himself.

“The first generation built their brands on television and movie screens, radio, magazines and newspapers, and the new one will do the same online at a much lower cost, with no need for a gatekeeper’s approval.”

This seems to suggest that the world’s your oyster now, since you can fully control your personal brand.

On how hustle is needed.

“It’s never a bad time to start a business unless you’re starting a mediocre business.”

“Let me reiterate that the process I am going to be talking about takes a lot of time, effort and focus, but not a lot of dollars, if any.

That, my friends, is the game changer; everyone has a shot, not just those with extra cash.“

It is important to note that he tells people to run with their passions, not mindlessly hustle.

On how to be noticed on the internet.

“To everyone who is freaking out because they fear the noise and distraction of all the additional content on the internet, you can relax.

Quality is a tremendous filter. Cream always rises, my friends, no matter how many cups of coffee you pour.”

“I only invest effort and thought into what I care about andwhat I need to create great content.”

“Authenticity is what will make it possible for you to put in the kind of hustle necessary to crush it.”

Gary Vee’s position is that it is better to go for authentic content over perfect content.

I love how Gary emphasises on telling YOUR story on YOUR terms–the authentic you, just as you are. Don’t copy others, or let others dictate what are the standards of “perfection”.

Is there even a global, objective standard to what “perfection” is?

Going for what is authentic will ensure that something gets really really well, whereas there is no certainty that anything will be produced if you are going for perfection.

Gary goes for high quality content and invests time and resources to make possible things he cares deeply about. He wants to make sure that he consistently delivers high quality material in the best possible mediums and distribution methods.

The need to “follow the force”.

I love this point! This point tells us to engage and always keep track of the market, follow the flow/money/views/force.

Since price is determined by the market, it only makes sense to find out who is your market by testing. We usually don’t know what we don’t know, and this is the same for our personal branding pursuits as well.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great book for general insights on how to use social media and the internet to do personal branding and LIVE YOUR DREAM LIFE. It’s like a brief introduction and a brochure to watch more of Gary Vee’s podcasts and youtube videos. Well, that is no surprise, since Gary Vee also urges all entrepreneurs to be patient.

Indeed, is not a book to get if you are more interested in the “exactly how” to get there, or the specifics.

Having said that, this book is an overall good read. We hope you have enjoyed Gary Vee’s quotes and this book review on personal branding!

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Today we are thrilled to feature Andrew Chow in an interview with us! Andrew is the best-selling author of the highly popular 247 series of books: Social Media 247, Public Relations 247 and Personal Branding 247. Enjoy!~